


A Love Like War

by haaaveyoumetted



Series: There's A Hole in My Soul, Can You Fill It? [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Alive Hale Family, F/F, F/M, M/M, does not end that way (;, stars pre-relationship sterek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-07 09:42:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haaaveyoumetted/pseuds/haaaveyoumetted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dealing with the aftermath of Kate's destruction as well as the strain it has put on their relationship with the hunters, as well as integrating the newest members, the Hale pack has a whole new set of challenges to face. On top of that, how will Derek deal with the guilt that consumes him once again because of the danger Kate put his family in and what she has taken away from them?</p><p>*I suck at summaries, my sincerest apologies.<br/>**This second installment of the series, please read 'Biography of Heartbreak' first! (:</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Gets Better

Stiles had never heard the Hale house anywhere _near_ as quiet as it was in the days following the deaths of Anna Lee and Kate. The whole pack was mourning, even the newer members who had only known Anne Lee briefly, and everyone welcomed and consoled Allison's grief at the loss of her aunt. Allison didn't agree with anything Kate had done or believed in, but the two of them had been close when she was younger, and they all understood that losing a family member, regardless of the circumstances, was a painful experience. 

Talia and Gabriel put up a strong front for the pack, but it was obvious that they were absolutely devastated and mostly kept to themselves and focused on offering comfort to Luke, Melanie and Christian. The younger members of the pack sought comfort in each other, constantly spending as much time together as possible. The non-human members sought a lot of physical closeness, which the humans were learning played a huge part in comforting werewolves and accelerating both their physical and mental healing. 

All of the progress Derek had made was thrown out of the window as he became completely withdrawn again. It was frustrating for everyone, but they let him have his space; even though they knew isolating himself from the others would only cause more pain. 

Anna Lee's body was buried near the back of the property in a place that had been designated specifically for that use, if it was ever needed. The burial was a private event, solely for the pack, and it was one of the worst days they had ever gone through as a pack collectively. It was clear that everyone was upset and frustrated over the fact that she was strong enough to beat cancer, only to have Kate take her life away in less than a second. Life was cruel, and they all knew that, but this was just beyond anything they could have prepared for. 

\------------------------------

"I just don't know what to do", Stiles admitted with a sigh, letting his head fall onto the table. "I mean, it's been two months- and I know that it's going to take a hell of a lot longer than that for everything to be okay, but we need prom to be _amazing_ okay? Everyone needs a night where we're not all completely miserable."

"Stiles is right- we've been planning this for _months_ and if we execute it right, it could be a night that would help a lot with the healing process", Allison said in agreement. 

"I wouldn't worry about the planning, we've done that seamlessly and won't be an issue- we just have to make sure that everyone's dates fall into place. Any updates on those situations?", Lydia replied. 

"Well, Cora and Isaac have definitely made a _lot_ of progress, seeing as he's staying with my dad and I, meaning that he's over at the Hale's with me pretty much every day. He just needs that little push into actually asking her", Stiles informed the group. 

"Erica has actually gotten Boyd to start talking to her, and I see them around together quite a bit. I don't really know much else... but I really think it's going well", Allison added, seeming impressed. 

"Erica is more than capable of handling herself. She has gained a lot of confidence lately, so I wouldn't worry", Stiles said in agreement. "What about Danny?"

"Oh I _definitely_ wouldn't worry about Danny. He's got a plan that I am totally and completely behind", Lydia responded confidently. "That only leaves you, Stiles."

"Look, I really haven't had the time or energy to devote to finding a prom date with everything that has been going on. I'm used to being the third, fifth, seventh, wheel in situations like this- just as long as we manage to make this fall into place for everyone else, then I'll be happy", Stiles replied. 

"Fine, whatever. Just don't think that I'm going to put up with any complaining on the actual night about you being the only one without a date", Lydia said. 

Lydia and Allison then launched into a discussion about dresses and hair, leaving Stiles with his thoughts. Lydia _never_ gave up that easily- letting him off the hook about a date like that without protest was not something she would normally do. Stiles knew she was planning something- it was the only possible explanation. He was really hoping that he wasn't going to be set up with a blind date- that had disaster written all over it. 

At the end of the school day everyone headed over to the Hale house for one of their weekly meetings/bonding sessions. It was Stiles' turn to cook for everyone, and Danny had volunteered to help- much to Stiles' relief. Cooking for _that_ many people _by himself_ was not really a challenge he was ready to take on yet. They were making chicken Parmesan with garlic herb pasta, along with salad and garlic bread. It wasn't the most complicated dish to make, but the portions they needed in order to feed everyone was a bit intimidating. 

"So", Stiles said clearing his throat, "How's the whole prom plan thing going? Lydia seems pretty confident about it, which definitely says something."

"Stiles, will you go to prom with me?", Danny asked, momentarily pausing the task at hand as he turned to look at Stiles. 

"Wait, what?! _That_ was your brilliant plan? Seriously?!", Stiles exclaimed, completely caught off guard. 

"No Stiles, this is just a _part_ of my brilliant plan", Danny said with a smirk. 

"...I'm listening", Stiles replied raising a quizzical eyebrow, clearly intrigued. 

"Look, I know there's someone you're interested in even though you adamantly refuse to tell any of us who it is. There's someone I'm also interested it, but for reasons I can't disclose at the moment, I can't ask him to prom - but if the two of us were to go together...", Danny explained, hoping Stiles would be able to piece the rest together himself. 

"So you think we should go together to, what, make them jealous? make them think they lost their chance?", Stiles asked, trying to further clarify. 

"Basically, yeah. I mean I don't know exactly what your situation is, but with my guy it will definitely work. He's jealous almost to a fault and it'll drive him crazy, no matter how much he doesn't want to admit it", Danny replied. 

"Danny, you're an awesome friend alright, as well as one of the most attractive people I have ever seen, so I'll help you out. I'll go to prom with you if you think it will convince this guy to get his head out of his ass and ask you out, but I don't really know if it's going to do much for either of us. I mean, I'm not exactly a 10 so I'm sure you could find someone that might get under your mystery guy's skin a little more- and as for me, the guy barely tolerates me and I don't even know if he has any interest in guys, like at all", Stiles said with a tired sigh. 

Danny stepped closer to Stiles and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Stiles, I don't know if you've seen yourself lately, but taking you to prom is going to do wonders for me, whether you choose to believe it or not. Secondly, going with another guy to prom will _definitely_ give you some insight into how your mystery guy feels- people don't always say how they feel about you, but even without meaning to they'll _always_ reveal it in the way they act. Trust me."

A small smile formed on Stiles' faced as he nodded. "Yeah, alright. Let's do this."

"Awesome. So tux shopping, I'm thinking tomorrow or Tuesday?", Danny replied with an excited smile. 

Even if Danny and Lydia's master plan didn't end up working out in Stiles' favor, which he highly doubted that it would, he was more than happy to help Danny out- and going to prom with someone as insanely attractive as Danny didn't really hurt either. He also knew that Danny wouldn't let him show up looking ridiculous, which was another plus. Now that he knew Danny was taken care of, all he had to focus on was making sure that Cora and Isaac ended up going together, and worrying about how he was going to do Cora's hair, because there's no way she would let him out of that one.


	2. In Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles was in the middle of putting away his new purchases when the was a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in!"
> 
> His dad opened the door and stepped inside, leaning casually against the wall. "So the shopping trip was successful then", he said nodding his head at the bags sitting on his son's bed. 
> 
> "Yeah, you could definitely say that. I think I'm going to let Danny do all of my clothes shopping for me from now on. He clearly knows what compliments and accentuates my body type better than I do", Stiles replied. 
> 
> The sheriff nodded, "From what I've seen I can already tell that his fashion sense is a few notches above yours."
> 
> "Gee thanks dad. So nice to know that you think so highly of me", he replied sarcastically.

With only three weeks left until prom, Stiles' main priority was making sure Isaac asked Cora to be his date. He had made her a promise and it was obvious that Isaac was interested in her. It was also obvious that he had absolutely no idea how to even approach the subject of asking her. 

"Isaac my main man, how's my favorite little puffball doing today?", Stiles asked, playfully ruffling the boy's overly curly hair. 

"I'm doing well; better. It's been easier I guess, interacting with everyone", he replied honestly. 

"Good, that makes me very happy my friend. It looks like Cora has taken pretty well to you", Stiles pointed out nonchalantly. 

A blush immediately tinted Isaac's cheeks as he looked down timidly, "Y-you really think so?"

"Of course she has dude! I see you two together all the time- I think you spend more time with her than I do, which is pretty impressive."

He shrugged and smiled, still avoiding eye contact with Stiles. 

"So when are you going to ask her to prom?", Stiles asked, trying to bite down the smirk forming on his face.

Isaac's head snapped up immediately, a startled expression on his face, "W-what? Who said anything about prom?"

"She did, well, she has been, for a while actually", he replied casually. 

"Really? She actually _said_ she wants to go to prom with me?", Isaac asked skeptically. 

"Trust me, I've been best friends with Cora since we were both like eleven alright, and she _never_ talks about guys she's interested in- at least, she didn't until a few months ago when you caught her eye", Stiles explained. "I'm not sure what you did, but whatever it was, it worked."

Isaac smiled brightly, lighting up his entire face. "Going to prom with her would be incredible, it's just... I have no idea how to ask her, and what if she says no?"

"No matter how you ask her, she is going to say yes", Stiles replied confidently. "It doesn't have to be some grand gesture, just ask her."

Isaac nodded, still smiling. "Yeah, okay. I will."

\----------------------------------

"You're officially shunned I'm never talking to you again", Danny said, a shocked yet impressed expression on his face. 

"What?! Why? I haven't even tried anything on yet, how could I have possibly offended you that severely?", Stiles exclaimed, genuinely confused as to what he'd done this time. 

"Because you think it's acceptable to hide all _that_ under like nine shirts and baggy jeans!", Danny scrutinized, gesturing to Stiles' mostly exposed body. "After we find outfits for prom I am completely overhauling your wardrobe", he said in a tone of finality that rivaled Lydia's. 

"I wasn't aware that agreeing to go to prom with you came with a complete update of what's currently in my closet. Lydia talked you into this didn't she?", Stiles suggested, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. 

"I don't even think Lydia knows what you're working with enough to demand that, _because you're hiding it all_ ", Danny emphasized over dramatically. 

"Alright, alright you've made your point. Let's just focus on prom first and then you can overhaul whatever you want", Stiles said, pulling the first suit off of the hanger. 

The two of them spent a good two hours trying on different combinations of pants, ties, dress shirts, jackets and vests until they each found something that Danny fully approved of, and spent another hour after that buying clothes appropriate for every day use. They stopped to grab a quick lunch together before going separate ways for the day. 

Stiles was in the middle of putting away his new purchases when the was a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in!"

His dad opened the door and stepped inside, leaning casually against the wall. "So the shopping trip was successful then", he said nodding his head at the bags sitting on his son's bed. 

"Yeah, you could definitely say that. I think I'm going to let Danny do all of my clothes shopping for me from now on. He clearly knows what compliments and accentuates my body type better than I do", Stiles replied. 

The sheriff nodded, "From what I've seen I can already tell that his fashion sense is a few notches above yours."

"Gee thanks dad. So nice to know that you think so highly of me", he replied sarcastically. 

His dad chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "So are you excited for prom?"

"I am actually; a lot more excited than I thought I was going to be, especially after...", Stiles acknowledged, leaving the end of the sentence hanging in the air unfinished. 

Nodding in understanding the sheriff replied, "How is everyone doing? I know it has only been a couple months, but are they doing alright?"

"They're doing as well as they can be. You and I both understand better than anyone that it's just going to take time."

:Yeah, well they're a strong family, and I know they'll get through it. How are _you_ holding up?"

"It's though, but I'm alright. Just focused on trying to make sure that prom is an incredible night. They all need it- just a night to let loose and have fun, not having to worry about anything else for a few hours", Stiles responded, turning to look at his dad. 

"Always looking out for the ones you care about, knowing what they need before they do. You've always been that way- almost overbearingly taking care of me all these years", his dad said with a playful yet appreciative and proud expression. "You are going to let yourself have some fun too right? I mean you do have a date and everything."

"Yes dad, I'm going to let myself have some fun, I promise. Lydia, Laura, Melanie, Talia, Renee, Allison and Erica would all kick my ass if I didn't."

"Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one looking out for you", his dad replied, a relaxed smile on his face. "You've gotten a lot closer to Lydia these days- seems like she hangs out with you guys pretty regularly. How's the ten year plan coming along?"

"Well, she does spend most of her time with us- usually with myself and Allison actually- but I think it's safe to say that I've officially abandoned the ten year plan", Stiles replied with a sigh. 

"Really?", the sheriff asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "That's a pretty big deal. What changed?"

"A lot of things I guess. Lydia is still a goddess, and I will always worship her superior skills when it comes to basically everything, but I guess the way I felt about her was more of a celebrity crush type situation- like, you're interested in them because they're completely untouchable. You'll never _actually_ get to know them as people, so you can project everything you hope that they are into your fantasies of being with them, even if none of it's real. Now that Lydia and I are kind of friends...I don't know. It's just not the same", Stiles explained, sitting on the edge of his bed.

His dad nodded, listening attentively and taking it all in. "So are there any new ten year plans that I should know about or anything?"

"Surprisingly, there are no such plans at the moment", Stiles said. 

"But there is someone else you're interested in?"

"Maybe? Kind of? I'm still trying to sort that out myself", Stiles admitted. 

"You've got plenty of time to figure it out kid, you're still only 17. Everything will start to fall into place the way it's supposed to", he replied. "Well, I'm on the night shift so I've got to head out. It was good finally getting to catch up with you, seems like we don't get to do that nearly as much as we used to."

"Yeah, we're both clearly just far too popular in this town", Stiles replied. "See you in the morning dad, love you."

"I love you too buddy", his dad said before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. 

\--------------------------

"How is my favorite, stunning, blonde bombshell doing today?", Stiles greeted, plopping down on the bench next to Erica and slinging his arm over her shoulders. 

"I see you're still intent on showering me with compliments", she observed, laughing softly. 

"Of course! You're my catwoman and you need to be reminded of your overall bad-assery on a regular basis", Stiles replied. 

"Well I'm glad you've taken it upon yourself to be the one that does that for me batman", she said leaning her head on his shoulder. 

"Any updates on the Boyd situation?", he asked, resting his head on top of hers. 

"He officially asked me to be his date to prom when we were out at dinner last night", she revealed with a large smile.

"I knew my unwavering faith in you wasn't misplaced! I'm really happy for you", he said ruffling her hair. 

She playfully swatted his hand away and they both laughed. 

"Thank you Stiles, seriously. If you hadn't invited me to sit with you and your friends at lunch that day we ran into each other in the hospital... I don't- I wouldn't have made any progress at all, and I most likely wouldn't have even _considered_ going to prom", Erica said, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"Hey now, there's no need to thank me. All of this-", he paused, gesturing to her as a whole,"-it was always there. You're a completely amazing person all on your own and you would have _always_ gotten here. I just helped jump start it a bit by showing you what I've thought you were capable of since we met", Stiles replied. 

She groaned and affectionately buried her face in his chest. "If you make me cry in front of everyone in this courtyard I swear..."

Stiles laughed and wrapped an arm around her, "I love you too Erica."


	3. We're Not Broken, Just Bent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sounds like the order is keeping you pretty busy lately", Cora replied, glancing over at him for the first time since he entered the room.
> 
> "Yeah, things with the Jedi council have been a bit crazy, but we've come to the conclusion that a mandated pack puppy pile is in order to begin the restoration of balance and harmony to the force with the Hale family", Stiles explained, turning to meet her stare. 
> 
> "Well if it's been mandated by the council, I guess my attendance is required", she said sighing dramatically, trying to hide the smirk creeping onto her face. 
> 
> "Your attendance would definitely be much appreciated. Trying to get Chewy to show up is going to be a challenge enough without anyone else resisting", Stiles replied, trying to bite down his own smirk. 
> 
> Cora laughed loudly before slapping a hand over her mouth to stifle it. "So he got pawned off on you did he? I guess I'll head over and try to wear him down a bit first and then I'll head downstairs and start setting everything up", Cora offered, pushing herself up into a sitting position. 
> 
> "This is why you're my favorite", Stiles said smiling up at her.

Erica, Lydia, Danny and Isaac, and by association Jackson, had all been sorted out and taken care of, which Stiles knew was going to be the easy part. Comforting the rest of the pack was going to be a challenge. He knew what it felt like to have someone you love completely ripped away from you- it wasn't pleasant, and healing took time. There were _still_ days when it felt like there was a giant gaping hole in his heart, but it was getting better. 

He walked into the Hale house that afternoon to almost complete silence, which was a sure sign that things were not getting better. Stiles took a few deep breaths, trying to ground himself and focus. After a few minutes of preparation, he walked up the stairs, a determined gait in his step, stopping in front of Laura's room first. He knocked on the door lightly and opened it slowly when he was granted permission to enter. Laura was sitting on her bed, cocooned in a mess of blankets and pillows as she blankly stared at the TV a few feet away. Stiles sighed and gently sat down next to her. 

"How's my favorite older sister holding up?", he asked, knowing it was a stupid question. 

Her lips quirked upwards slightly. "Still feeling like my adoptive younger brother knows me better than I do."

Stiles smiled, twiddling the edge of the sheets between his fingers. "We have to get the pack together- you know it'll help."

"We?", she asked, eyeing him carefully. 

"Yes _we_ ", he replied with fond exasperation. "You know nothing actually gets accomplished around here if I don't instigate it- well, nothing important anyway- and there are far too many Hales for me to round them all up myself. Even _I_ can only do so much without help."

Laura smiled softly, nodding her head. "I always knew there was a reason that we kept you around", she said jokingly. "Let me get changed and we'll put this plan into action. Did you have anything particular in mind?", she asked, slowly unwrapping herself from the bed and walking over to the closet. 

"At the very least we just need to get everyone _together_. A puppy pile would definitely be ideal though- I mean, it helped a lot after the fire all those years ago. That was probably the most relaxed I've ever seen all of you", Stiles replied. 

"Yeah, everyone keeping to themselves hasn't really done much good for any of us- they all _know_ this, so I don't really know what's going on. I guess it's up to us to fix it, as usual", Laura agreed. "Why don't you go talk to Cora and Elizabeth, and after I get changed I'll go check on Christian and Daniel... and as for Derek..."

"I highly doubt that he's going to be willing to budge for either of us, but I'll give it a go after I check on my girls", Stiles stated with a sigh. 

"Honestly, you're probably the only one other than Cora that he might actually talk to, but I'm not going to hold my breath either", Laura admitted. 

Stiles nodded and stood up, making his way over to the door. "You know I'm always here if you need to talk", he offered, pausing momentarily. 

"Stiles, you've been my human diary since you were eleven- once we get everyone else sorted out, you know I'll be requesting _at least_ a day of you all to myself", Laura replied, pulling a clean shirt from her closet. 

"I'd be a bit worried if you didn't", he conceded, throwing her one last smile before making his way back into the hallway and over to Cora's room and knocking softly on the door just as he had done with Laura. He heard a muffled reply granting him permission to enter, prompting him to open the door and quietly step inside. 

Cora seemed to be fairing slightly better than Laura had, as far as keeping up appearances, but in that respect she was a lot like Derek- she could be completely crumbling on the inside and no one would be able to tell, except for Stiles and Talia. 

"How goes the official business of Naboo my dearest Leia?", Stiles asked, collapsing onto the bed to lay next to her.  
"  
"Corruption and death and gross political scandals, even with the New Republic in place", she replied with a sigh. "Any new developments in the force that I should be aware of oh Jedi master?"

He smirked and bit his lip in amusement, "Just the same old business really- I've teamed up with Obi-Wan to start cleaning up everyone else's messes, and trying to avoid emotional turmoil, and prevent wars from breaking out."

One of the reasons that Stiles and Cora had been best friends for so long was moments like this- the two of them could have full-fledged conversations disguised in obscure pop culture banter that no one outside of the two of them would quite understand. Cora wasn't someone who particularly _enjoyed_ talking about how she felt, but Stiles had discovered that she _would_ vent to him and allow him to discuss things like this with her if they didn't speak about it blatantly; it made their friendship incredibly strong and didn't even take a second of moments like that for granted, knowing he was the only one she confided in, in such a deep personal way. 

"Sounds like the order is keeping you pretty busy lately", Cora replied, glancing over at him for the first time since he entered the room.

"Yeah, things with the Jedi council have been a bit crazy, but we've come to the conclusion that a mandated pack puppy pile is in order to begin the restoration of balance and harmony to the force with the Hale family", Stiles explained, turning to meet her stare. 

"Well if it's been mandated by the council, I guess my attendance is required", she said sighing dramatically, trying to hide the smirk creeping onto her face. 

"Your attendance would definitely be much appreciated. Trying to get Chewy to show up is going to be a challenge enough without anyone else resisting", Stiles replied, trying to bite down his own smirk. 

Cora laughed loudly before slapping a hand over her mouth to stifle it. "So he got pawned off on you did he? I guess I'll head over and try to wear him down a bit first and then I'll head downstairs and start setting everything up", Cora offered, pushing herself up into a sitting position. 

"This is why you're my favorite", Stiles said smiling up at her. He sat up and sighed quietly. "I'm going to head over and talk to my other favorite Hale and then depending on the progress you have or haven't made with your sourwolf of a brother, I'll join you downstairs either five minutes or like an hour after I talk to Elizabeth."

"Alright, like I said I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises. I'll keep you updated", she said as Stiles lifted himself from her and bed and leaned against the wall. "It's okay to miss her y'know- to _not_ be okay for a while", he observed, taking a chance and hoping she'd open up. A small sound that resembled a whimper fell from the back of her throat and Stiles quickly crossed the room to pull her into his arms. She collapsed into him immediately, clinging to him tightly. "She was doing _so well_ Stiles! She was completely human and she had _cancer_ and she _beat_ it- she was going to be _okay_! I know that you of all people know how fucking unfair that is", she exclaimed, sobbing as she buried her face into his chest. Stiles gently ran his hands through her hair, resting his chin on the top of her head and waited patiently for her to continue. "I just feel so _upset_ and _angry_ and _cheated_. I don't know how to do this- to just function every day know that she _can't_ , not anymore, not _ever_. I always knew that you were a strong kid, but _jesus_ the fact that you held it together _and_ took care of your dad and then like a year later you put up with all of our shit and I just-", her sentence was left hanging in the air as her arms tightened around him and a choked sob vibrated into his shoulder, betraying her as she worked so hard to keep it all in. "There are still days when I walk around and I feel numb because a piece of me is just _gone_ \- like there's a gaping hole right in the middle of my heart, and I'm completely suffocating with how much I miss her. There are still days were I just can't do anything other than sit there and focus on remembering how to breathe and that _I'm_ not dying just from the pain of wishing she was still with me- the ache of trying to remember what it felt like to have her in my arms just like _this_ ", Stiles paused as he felt a single tear rolling down his cheek, allowing himself to be completely overcome with the thought of his mother for the first time in a very long time. "You're the strongest person I've ever met, and there's no way I would survive any of this without you", Cora replied, finally pulling away, rubbing her tear-stained face with the back of her sweatshirt sleeve. "You know what, you go talk to Derek- I'll go grab Elizabeth. I think if he's going to want to talk to anyone right now, it'll be you." "What is it with all of you and trying to get me severely injured?", he joked. "I have a feeling this is going to end rather uneventfully, even with my irresistible Stilinski charm." 

xxxx

Stiles' approached Derek's door with a whole different kind of nerves- with Laura and Cora he felt comfortable talking about this stuff and he knew the best ways to comfort them individually from over the years- with Derek, well it was more a matter of just trying something and hoping that it was somewhat effective. He knocked lightly, waiting to be given permission to enter- or some form of acknowledgement at the very least. When he received neither of those things, he knocked a second time, with a little more force.

"Derek, I know you're in there."

He heard him sigh and footsteps slowly made their way across the room before the door opened and he beckoned exasperatedly for Stiles to enter. Stiles took the invitation without hesitation and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat patiently, letting the silence stretch out between them for a few minutes, to see if Derek would speak without being prompted first; much to Stiles' surprise, Derek was the first one to break the silence. "I heard you talking to Cora."

Stiles nodded, not exactly sure what direction this was going to go, but definitely not even _thinking_ about interrupting Derek in fear that he wouldn't willing start talking again. 

"You're really good with her. I've never heard anyone else connect with her like that- even when I talk to her, when we vent to each other- I can never reach her quite like you do", Derek continued, his eyes trained on his shoes as he leaned against the wall. "And Laura- I know you see her as an older sister, but a lot of the time I forget that she's actually older than you."

The younger man shrugged slightly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah I don't- I'm not really sure why. It's still a bit surprising, even after all these years."

"I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your mom like that", Derek replied, clearing his throat. "Now we're all getting a taste of what it felt like for you- what it must _still_ feel like-", he paused briefly, his brow furrowing as he attempted to gather his thoughts. "Cora pretty much said it all..."

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to get that much out of her- but I'm glad that I did. She needed it", Stiles admitted. "I think you need it too."

Derek's shoulders tensed visibly and he let out a breath slowly. "I'm not very good at that", he replied through slightly gritted teeth. 

"Yeah I've noticed- Cora really isn't either, which I blame you for I hope you know", Stiles replied playfully, trying to lighten the mood a bit. He counted it as a success when he noticed Derek's lips twitching up ever so slightly. 

"She does get a lot of her traits from me", he agreed. "...which can be tough for her at times, I know I'm not the best role model some-"

"Nope, no. Stop it right there. You have a _lot_ of people that look up to you, and for good reasons alright? You might bit a bit emotionally stunted, but that doesn't make you a bad role model," Stiles interrupted, quickly trying to regain control of the conversation. "How are you holding up?"

Derek shrugged, still refusing to look at Stiles. "I'm not", he replied honestly, visibly struggling to keep his composure. "I'm really not."

Stiles nodded his head in understanding. "That makes sense. It's going to take time for you to feel like you can function somewhat normally again. I'd be more than a little bit concerned if you were trying to convince me that you _were_ alright."

"I just- I feel like it's my fault that she's gone. If I hadn't been taken, you guys wouldn't have had to come find me that night", Derek revealed. 

"No matter how much you feel like you need to blame yourself for what happened, you can't do that. It'll eat you alive- completely consume you man. I know what that's like, and it's lethal", Stiles replied. "You already gave yourself more than enough of a guilt trip with the Kate situation- enough to last at least one lifetime."

"I can't even bring myself to look at Christian, or either of their parents since it happened", Derek admitted quietly. Stiles stood and slowly walked over to stand in front of him. He cautiously lifted his hand, reaching out to put a hand on Derek's shoulder. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the contact, confirming Stiles' suspicions that he had been depriving himself of physical comfort from the pack. 

"You know that they love you right? That there's no way they would ever even _think_ any of this was your fault?", Stiles said, squeezing Derek's shoulder gently. 

"I know- that doesn't really make it any easier though, not right now at least", Derek replied. "How did you handle it? How do you _still_ handle it?"

"Some days it's easier than others; right after it happened though- I was pretty much convinced that I was going to die. I spent most of my time just reminding myself how to breathe, and I had a lot of panic attacks. I basically cut myself off from the world completely for a while... and then I met you guys," Stiles explained. "Being introduced to so many people all at once, having to force myself to focus on being calm, and then realizing that it just came naturally around you guys... It took a lot of the weight off of my shoulders. It still does."

"We're all going to need you, like we always do when we're seeking comfort as a pack", Derek said hesitantly. 

"I know, and I don't mind. I did recruit Laura as my assistant this time though- felt like I could use a bit of help. Speaking of which, there's a mandatory pack cuddles session about to go on downstairs. You're all stupidly depriving yourselves of physical contact, which is only prolonging the healing process, so we're fixing that," Stiles replied. "Your attendance is required, and I'm not taking no for an answer so don't even think about it."

Derek smirked, shaking his head in what seemed like amusement. "Lead the way."


	4. Just Tell Yourself, "I'll Be Okay"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles didn't even realize that he had let his head fall onto the older man's shoulder until he saw Laura and Cora smirking up at him. He was confused at first as to what they could possibly be that amused about, and then it hit him- he was laying _on Derek's shoulder_ , and not only that, their sides were completely pressed up against each other, with no space between them. He felt himself flushing and leveled them both with a glare, which only made them laugh. Stiles did his best to ignore them, focusing his full attention on the movie playing and definitely _not_ how it felt to be that close to Derek.

Once Stiles had made sure that Derek was actually heading downstairs to join some of the others, he headed a bit further down the wall and stopped in front of Elizabeth's door. 

"Hey Liz, can I come in?", he prompted, knocking softly. The door was immediately wrenched open to reveal the young girl with a startlingly blank expression and tears streaming down her cheeks. Stiles immediately bent down to her level, carefully placing his hands on either side of her face as he gently wiped the tears away with his thumbs. Her lip began quivering and she lurched forward, latching onto him tightly. He quickly moved his hands to her back, lifting her from the floor as she wrapped her legs around him. Closing the door behind them, he walked over to the bed and sat down, never removing his hands from the younger girl. 

He felt himself tearing up as she sobbed uncontrollably, completely drenching his shirt and refusing to loosen her grip, like she would completely slip away if she let go. Rubbing her back soothingly, he whispered softly to her, hoping she would be comforted at least a little bit. After a few minutes, her grip slackened slightly as she began to calm down. Stiles gently pulled her back, once again gently wiping the tears from her face. 

"I-I miss her s-so much Stiles", she hiccuped, trying desperately not to start crying again. 

"I know you do Liz. We all do", Stiles replied, his attention never wavering. 

"I just, I don't understand why it had to be her. Why did she have to be taken away from us?", Elizabeth asked, clearly frustrated. 

"It doesn't make sense, it probably never will", Stiles said, trying to figure out how to comfort the youngest Hale without lying to her. "I don't think I've ever talked to you about how I felt when my mom died- but I was a few years younger than you are right now. She had cancer, just like Anna Lee did, but it killed her. She never got better like Lee did. It took me a long time to feel okay again after I lost my mom- and sometimes there are days when I'm still not- but having Mrs. McCall and your mom and Renee and Melanie, they all treat me like another son and it helps a lot. You've got so many people that feel exactly what you're going through right now, and we're all here to help...which is why Laura and I have agreed that a giant pack cuddle session needs to happen."

The young girl smiled softly, nodding her head. "I miss pack cuddle sessions."

"Can I tell you a secret? I do too", Stiles replied with a wink. 

Elizabeth giggled and winked back, "Your secret is safe with me."

About an hour later everyone was downstairs, which didn't take nearly as much coercing as Laura and Stiles originally thought it would. Cora, Stiles and Laura were all leaned up against the couch, with Elizabeth in Stiles' lap, Christian snuggled up against Laura's side, Daniel leaning back against Cora and Derek sitting up on the couch above Stiles. As they all began to settle in and watch the movie, Stiles pulled out his phone and contacted the rest of the pack to let them know their attendance would be appreciated. Another thirty minutes after that, the front door opened to reveal Erica, Scott, Lydia, Jackson, Danny, Allison, and Isaac, who looked at the scene in front of them curiously.

"Glad you could all make it. It's time to introduce you all to your first pack puppy pile cuddle session", Stiles greeted. 

Erica, Allison and Isaac hurried over excitedly, immediately trying to find places to integrate themselves. The others made their way over somewhat less eagerly and eventually everyone was settled in. It took a few minutes for everyone to adjust, but the minute that everyone was settled, it almost had a magical calming effect on everyone in the room. Isaac had shyly sat down next to Cora, who immediately leaned into him, sending a blush over his cheeks. Stiles carefully lifted Elizabeth as he moved up onto the couch next to Derek, Danny falling into place on his other side. Erica slid into the place Stiles had previously been in, while Scott, Allison, Jackson and Lydia made themselves comfortable on the blanket on the floor. Laura looked up at Stiles as he looked down at her and they smiled, knowing their plan was working. 

As the night progressed, subtle shifts were made- Stiles' head ended up leaning on Derek's shoulder instead of Danny's, and Erica ended up where Danny used to be, with her head resting on Stiles' shoulder, carefully playing with Elizabeth's hair who had migrated over to her lap. Lydia ended up between Laura and Cora where Erica had been and Danny ended up between Jackson and Christian, with Scott and Allison still lying next to each other. 

Stiles didn't even realize that he had let his head fall onto the older man's shoulder until he saw Laura and Cora smirking up at him. He was confused at first as to what they could possibly be that amused about, and then it hit him- he was laying _on Derek's shoulder_ , and not only that, their sides were completely pressed up against each other, with no space between them. He felt himself flushing and leveled them both with a glare, which only made them laugh. Stiles did his best to ignore them, focusing his full attention on the movie playing and definitely _not_ how it felt to be that close to Derek.

xxxxx

When Stiles woke up the next morning, he felt somewhat disoriented. Blinking slowly, he took in his surroundings as the events of the previous night flooded back to him. He sat up slowly to keep from disturbing the rest of the pack and carefully made his way to the kitchen. "Morning", he greeted hoarsely, still not fully awake.

"Good morning Stiles", Talia replied, smiling around her cup of coffee. 

Immediately he was engulfed in a hug by both Melanie and Renee. It took him a second to respond and hug them back as he was completely caught off guard. "Good morning ladies. This is quite the greeting, I must say."

"Thank you, so much", Melanie said squeezing him gently. "I haven't seen Christian actually _sleep_ or relax for more than a few hours since it happened."

"And Elizabeth has been completely closed off. I haven't seen a smile on her face in weeks", Renee added. 

"I'm just protecting the pack, making sure they're all taken care of like I always have", Stiles replied, shrugging it off and blushing slightly. "It's not a big deal."

"It's a very big deal, and we all wanted to thank you- before the others woke up. I had a feeling you wouldn't enjoy it being a public declaration of sorts", Talia said with a warm smile.

"And that's why you're my favorite adoptive mother", Stiles replied, clearly grateful that he avoided being praised in front of everyone. "So, what's the deal with breakfast?", he asked, desperately wanting to change the subject. "Has someone started cooking for everyone or am I going to have to initiate that as well?', he continued, a playful glint in his eyes. 

"C'mon Stiles, I'll help you get started", Gabriel said motioning towards the kitchen. He nodded and lead the way, opening the fridge to inspect what the two of them had to work with. 

"It looks like you guys have enough for us to make eggs for about half, and then we can make french toast, pancakes and do some assorted fruit stuff as well", Stiles mused, carefully pulling out the ingredients and placing them on the counter.

"Sounds good to me", Mr. Hale replied, pulling out pots, pans and other cooking essentials. "So I'll start on the eggs, you want to get started on the pancakes?"

Stiles nodded in agreement. "That definitely works." 

The two worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both concentrating on the tasks at hand before Mr. Hale spoke. "I know that Talia, Renee and Melanie pretty much covered it, but I wanted to personally say thank you as well."

Stiles' careful concentration faltered slightly as he turned to look at him. "Like I said before, it's really not a big deal. They're my friends- more like my family really- and I care about them."

"You were ten when you met us Stiles. Laura and Derek were _sixteen_ and _you_ were still looking after _them_. You helped Daniel come out of his shell and come to accept that being human in a pack is important and that we need people like him- you'll never understand how much that means. You made sure Anna Lee and Christian and Daniel passed their classes, you helped Laura get ready for prom, and made sure the rest of the girls didn't feel left out because they couldn't go with her. You comforted _everyone_ pretty much single-handedly the night of the fire. You've always made time for Elizabeth, and she looks up to you like you hung the moon that we all howl at. Cora trusts you more than anyone in the world- I've never seen her open up to anyone the way that she does to you. Laura just adores everything about you. You're even getting Derek to lighten up; he doesn't just rip people in half for no reason, even if they're enemies. They all look up to you Stiles, I don't think you quite understand how much you really mean to everyone individually, as well as the pack as a unit- especially the new pack members that you've brought to us, which also makes us stronger as a whole", Mr. Hale explained. 

Stiles was about to open his mouth to respond when there was a polite knock on the wall. "Am I interrupting?", Erica asked politely from the doorway. 

"Not at all Erica", Gabriel responded with a friendly smile. "Why don't you take over for a bit and help Stiles? There are some things Talia and I have to take care of before breakfast."

Erica nodded and made her way into the kitchen as Gabriel exited, affectionately ruffling Stiles' hair on the way out. 

"So, you and Derek looked pretty cozy last night...", Erica said, biting back a smirk. 

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about", Stiles replied, pointedly not looking at her. "And even if I did- you realize 95% of the people in this house have supernatural hearing abilities so this conversation is definitely not happening."

"Fine", Erica said in understanding, "but this conversation is definitely not over."

After that everything went smoothly, with light and easy conversation flowing between them- and they finished in record time. They passed out plates and watched everyone rush the kitchen to get their shares. Stiles stood back, waiting for everyone else to serve themselves before he took any, knowing that he could just make more for himself if there wasn't enough.

"You'd make a great mate to an alpha one day", Peter said, sliding up next to where he was leaning against the wall. "You're a natural at taking care of a pack- you remind me a lot of Gabriel when he first met my sister actually."

"First of all, I think that's the only non-creepy thing you've ever said to me, so congratulations on that. Secondly, you guys are the only pack that I know, and your alpha is incredibly spoken for", Stiles replied. 

Peter smirked, shaking his head in amusement. "Oh Stiles, there's still so much you have to learn about how packs work. There is potential for all of the betas in a pack to rise to an alpha status, and there are several different ways that it can be done. At least one of the younger members of the Hale pack will be an alpha one day."

Stiles remained silent as he mulled over the new information he had just been given. "So if any or all of them end up alphas, that means they'll have to find packs of their own right?"

"All alphas need a pack- and a single pack having more than one alpha can get messy, even if they're family. When one of them rises to the position, I have a feeling that some of the betas that we already have will follow and be a part of that pack instead", Peter replied, actually being helpful for once. "When it happens, everyone will have a decision to make- but seeing as how close this pack is, I don't really see it changing much of anything as far as friendships and spending practically every day with each other- there will just be a slight shift of power- who everyone looks to for authority and all that."

Stiles nodded. "Do you guys have any predictions on who you think it will be?", he asked, turning to look at the older man. 

"We all have our speculations, but it's impossible to know for sure", Peter replied. "I've got my money on Derek, which seems to surprise everyone. Most of them are assuming it's going to be Laura or Cora- possibly both."

"I could definitely see Laura or Cora running their own pack- Laura especially", Stiles said in agreement. "Derek has the potential. He just, has a bit of work to do in the whole emotionally and socially closed off department."

Peter nodded as he continued to observe the room around them, "I couldn't agree more."


	5. Pretty Women

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Okay, why does everyone think there's this 'mystery' person that I'm just refusing to talk about?", Stiles asked, slightly exasperated, trying to not flail and screw up the progress he had made on Erica's hair. 
> 
> "First of all because there _is_ , I don't know why you just don't admit it, and second of all, you haven't been tripping over your feet and forgetting how to use words in front of me in at least 6 months now- if that isn't a tell, then I don't know what is", Lydia replied matter-of-fact, a smug expression on her face. 
> 
> "Just because I've abandoned the 10 year plan does not mean I'm suddenly interested in someone else", Stiles replied defensively. 
> 
> "Stiles, you started talking about your 10 year plan the first day you _saw_ Lydia in like fifth grade and haven't stopped since- until, like Lydia said, six months ago- there _has_ to be a reason for it", Laura added, a knowing look on her face.

Stiles has no idea how it snuck up on him so quickly- in retrospect, he supposes he should have expected it with everything going on, but that wasn't important. What _was_ important was the fact that it was Prom day had finally arrived. 

He rolled out of bed, still only half awake, and tugged on a random shirt as he reached for his phone. Noticing he had no new notifications, he slid it into the pocket of his pajama pants and stumbled his way downstairs. "Morning", he greeted, shuffling over to the fridge in search of something he deemed suitable for breakfast. 

"Good morning", his dad replied, briefly looking up from the case files strewn about the table in front of him. "Today's the big day."

Stiles grunted in response, pulling turkey bacon, eggs and a carton of juice from the fridge and setting them on the counter. "Indeed it is. I still have so much to do before tonight can even happen."

"I thought you guys had pretty much everything taken care of?", the sheriff replied, flipping through the pages of a police report nonchalantly. 

"Pretty much- it's mostly just getting everyone ready and all in one place and the pictures and all that", Stiles replied, removing two pans from the cabinet and placing them on the stove. "I promised Cora I would do her hair, which is actually something I'm looking forward to."

Sheriff Stilinski smiled fondly, "She would have been so proud of you."

Stiles faltered slightly, nearly spilling juice on himself, and cleared his throat. "I hope so. Definitely wouldn't want to disappoint."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Stiles continued to prepare their breakfast. When he was just about finished, he felt a buzzing in his pocket and set down the spatula in favor of grabbing it. A smile lit up his face as he answered the call, putting it on speaker so that he could continue cooking. "My lovely Leia, how are you this morning?"

He heard her laugh softly before replying. "I do believe all of the balance in the force has been restored- for now. It'll probably get all fucked up like dark side style trying to get ready for tonight though."

He nodded in agreement, knowing she couldn't see him. "Let's hope it doesn't get quite that bad. What time do you want me over to work on your hair?", he asked, carefully scooping the eggs and bacon onto the plates on the counter.

" _You're_ the one doing her hair?!", he heard someone screech. He flinched slightly, caught off guard. "Was that Erica?"

"Yeah, that was Erica. All of the girls are here already- and you're on speaker", Cora replied. 

"Of course they are", Stiles replied, shaking his head in amusement. 

"He did my hair for prom when he was like 12, and it was _amazing_ , so I'm really excited to see how Cora's turns out", he heard Laura add. 

"I hope you realize this means you're doing everyone's hair now and that you need to get over here in like an hour or so", Lydia chimed in smugly. 

He heard his dad laughing and sighed. "How is this my life. I hope you all realize that I have to have time to get _myself_ ready", Stiles replied. "Let me just eat breakfast and get my stuff together and I'll head over."

He ended the call quickly and brought both plates, along with two glasses of juice over to the table. His father accepted them gratefully, not wasting any time digging in. 

"So you've become the designated hair dresser then?", his dad prompted, smirking slightly.

"Apparently so. My day just started like four hours earlier than I was intending it to- when I imagined going to prom, I never quite envisioned five girls' hair beforehand", Stiles replied, taking a bite of one of the bacon strips. 

"Five?", the sheriff asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Well yeah, I mean Allison, Lydia, Erica, Cora and then Elizabeth. She's obviously not _going_ to prom with us, but I did hers, Anna Lee's and Cora's when Laura went to prom and... crap. I might have to do Laura's again too then if she's staying back with Elizabeth...", he concluded, trailing off slightly. 

His dad smiled, eating and observing his son's rambling, his attention never wavering as he always did. "You might want to head out pretty soon here, if you're going to get all of that done and still get ready in time", he cut in about fifteen minutes later. 

Stiles cursed under his breath as he checked the time, quickly standing and placing his dishes in the sink before taking the stairs two at a time to get to his room.

xxxx

The moment Stiles stepped into the Hale house, he was tackled. He ended up sprawled on the floor with Erica, Laura and Elizabeth on top of him, while Cora, Allison and Lydia watched, varying degrees of amusement present on their faces.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us you were doing Cora's hair!", Erica exclaimed, slapping his arm in feigned offense.

"There wasn't really anything to tell! I did Laura's hair, and I promised Cora's I would do hers- I didn't think it was a big deal", Stiles replied, rubbing his arm protectively. "Speaking of which, am I even going to have enough time to do all of yours?"

"If you start now, we should be fine", Laura supplied with a shrug. 

"Alright then, let's move this party upstairs and get started", Stiles replied with a halfhearted sigh. It didn't actually annoy him that they all wanted him to do their hair, even though he would never admit it outright. Taking care of the pack is something he had grown to love, and if that meant doing hair for prom, then so be it. It's not like he hadn't enjoyed the experience last time. 

Once they all got situated in the large master bathroom, which Talia had given them free reign of for the entire day, Erica plopped down into the chair, an eager smile on her face and Stiles got to work. 

"So....", Lydia began, that look on her face that Stiles recognized in an instant. She was going to start asking him questions that he either didn't know the answers to, or didn't want to talk about- knowing her, it was most likely both. "How goes the Danny situation?"

"Why don't you tell me?", he challenged. "You and Danny are the ones that came up with this plan after all."

"Oh come on Stiles- you of all people should have it figured out by now", she replied with a scoff. 

"I literally have no idea what you're talking about", he said, carefully running a brush through Erica's hair. "I mean, he said that he's taking me to make some guy jealous- which I still don't really understand because I mean, it's _me_ , but whatever. I don't understand how he thinks this is going to help me- though he insists that it will."

"Aw, batman- don't sell yourself so short", Erica cooed from in front of him. 

"Yeah Stiles, she's right. I mean, it's actually kind of strange that you're not dating anyone...", Allison added.

"He probably would be if he wasn't interested in someone who he has no intention of making a move on", Lydia explained, picking at her nails, the corners of her lips quirking up slightly. 

"Okay, why does everyone think there's this 'mystery' person that I'm just refusing to talk about?", Stiles asked, slightly exasperated, trying to not flail and screw up the progress he had made on Erica's hair. 

"First of all because there _is_ , I don't know why you just don't admit it, and second of all, you haven't been tripping over your feet and forgetting how to use words in front of me in at least 6 months now- if that isn't a tell, then I don't know what is", Lydia replied matter-of-fact, a smug expression on her face. 

"Just because I've abandoned the 10 year plan does not mean I'm suddenly interested in someone else", Stiles replied defensively. 

"Stiles, you started talking about your 10 year plan the first day you _saw_ Lydia in like fifth grade and haven't stopped since- until, like Lydia said, six months ago- there _has_ to be a reason for it", Laura added, a knowing look on her face. 

"You guys are the worst, I hope you know that", Stiles replied with a resigned sigh. "I don't know why I agree to hang out with any of you."

Cora slapped his arm and he rubbed it, feigning hurt. "You should know by now that you can't keep stuff like this from us; if you don't give it up, we're just going to figure it out on our own terms."

"Seriously. Not even a little bit fond of any of you", Stiles added, focusing on the intricate braiding he was trying to put into practice for the first time. "I'm trying to concentrate here, I hope you realize. _Maybe_ I'll tell you all later if you behave so I can actually get this all done on time."

That clearly wasn't the answer that any of them were looking for, but they reluctantly left him alone to finish Erica's hair, diving into a conversation of their own. 

By some miracle, Stiles had managed to finish Erica, Cora, Lydia and Allison's hair by 1, giving them plenty of time to do their make-up and change into their dresses. 

[Lydia](http://www.polyvore.com/lydia_junior_prom/set?id=110359102) had on her signature bright red lipstick with red shoes to match. Her dress was strapless, covered in a glittery gold. She was definitely going to be the center of attention at Prom like she had always wanted. 

[Cora](http://www.polyvore.com/cora_junior_prom/set?id=110392195) had surprised everyone with the strapless, flowing, pastel pink dress that she had chosen. She topped it off with matching pumps, accented by very minimal jewelry. It suited her well, accenting her slim frame and long legs. 

[Allison](http://www.polyvore.com/allison_junior_prom/set?id=110398583), in contrast, was sporting all black, with the exception of her lipstick and nail polish- which were matching shades of blood red. She looked badass, to put it bluntly, and pulled the look off with minimal effort. 

[Erica](http://www.polyvore.com/erica_junior_prom/set?id=110402520) had come out of her shell completely for the night, much to everyone's delight. She wore a low-cut, deep blue dress that cut off just above her knees. Her nails were painted black, and she wore simple silver jewelry, topping the look off with bright pink pumps and lipstick to match. 

After making sure the girls were taken care of, he retrieved his own bag from downstairs and quickly [got himself ready](http://www.polyvore.com/stiles_junior_prom/set?id=110486521) before heading to Elizabeth's room. He knocked softly and she immediately let him in, smiling brightly. 

"You look amazing Stiles!", she beamed. 

He laughed, caught off guard by the compliment. "Thank you Liz, that means a lot coming from you", he replied. "I've got a little something for you", he said, holding a bag out for her to take. 

She wasted no time opening in and gasped, "This is all for me?!"

"I know you're bummed you can't come to prom with us- which I'm totally bummed about too- so I wanted you to have something nice for your special girls' night with Laura."

Elizabeth launched herself at him, hugging Stiles tightly. "This is why you're the best!" 

"Go ahead and get changed so you can come downstairs and take pictures with us", he replied, ruffling her hair. She scrunched her nose in protest and batted his hand away before rushing across the hall to the bathroom to change. 

About ten minutes later, she walked back into the room [fully changed](http://www.polyvore.com/elizabeth_prom/set?id=110403180) twirling the fabric of the dress in her fingers. 

"You like it?", Stiles asked, unsure of how well he had done. 

"It's absolutely perfect."

"Good, but there is one more thing I have for you", he replied, pulling a small box out of his pocket. He extended it out to her and she accepted it, opening the lid carefully. Her face lit up as she lifted the necklace from the box. It wasn't anything extravagant- just a small silver necklace with the Hale family triskele- but he knew she would understand. 

He spent about a half hour doing her hair, making sure it was to her liking, before taking her hand and leading her to the stairs. "You ready?"

She nodded vigorously, clearly excited, and allowed him to lead her down the stairs. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the lovely Elizabeth Hale", he announced dramatically, presenting her to the room. 

She was immediately swarmed by the girls, Allison and Erica bending down to examine the shoes and dress enthusiastically. 

"That was all your doing wasn't it?", Talia replied, sliding up next to him as they both observed. 

"Well I certainly didn't know anything about it, so I'd say it had to be", Laura said, walking over to join them. "You really do spoil her."

"I can't help it", Stiles said with a shrug. "She's like the little sister I never had. She's pack, and I don't really know how to _not_ take care of her at this point. Seeing her feel left out... I just- I don't want to see her unhappy, if I can do something to avoid it."

"If you don't end up marrying into a pack, it's going to be such a waste", Laura remarked. 

"Oh?", Stiles asked, somewhat confused, prompting her to continue.

"You've always been gifted when it comes to taking care of the people you love Stiles. On top of that, you're smart, and dedicated. You have many qualities that are very valuable, in both the human and werewolf cultures... but for you to not end up in a pack- Laura's right. It would be a waste", Talia explained.

"Everyone is just full of flattery tonight", Stiles replied, chuckling. "You guys won't have to worry about any of that- I already told you, you aren't going to be able to get rid of me- so no matter who I end up with in that regard, I'm still going to end up in a pack. You should know by now I wouldn't bring anyone into my life if I thought they weren't going to be good for the pack. You guys have always been my top priority, other than my dad."

The two sandwiched him in a hug, kissing his cheeks, leaving a blush dusting his cheeks as they laughed. Everyone in the room stopped briefly as a knock sounded at the door. The boys had arrived- it was showtime.


	6. No one does it better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I told you that you clean up nicely if you _actually_ put in the effort", He heard Danny practically purr, blatantly checking Stiles out as he placed his hands on the leaner man's hips. 
> 
> Stiles' cheeks immediately flushed red as he replied, "Clearly you know my body better than I do, seeing as this was all your doing", smiling invitingly and placing a hand on each of Danny's biceps to hold him in place. Derek had _never_ seen anyone act that way around Stiles, or Stiles act that way towards anyone. It was nice to see him finally putting himself out there a little. No matter how much he never outwardly expressed it, Derek knew that Stiles was a complete catch; he was intelligent and quick-witted, caring and passionate, as well as fiercely loyal and dedicated- and Danny wasn't wrong, Stiles did clean up nicely when there was some sort of effort put into it. Danny, from what Derek had seen over the past month or so, was also a wonderful guy and possessed many of the genuinely attractive personality traits that Stiles had- but something about the two of them together made Derek feel slightly uneasy.

The moment the boys arrived, everyone paired off respectively, admiring their dates for the evening. Mr. Hale and Derek were arrived downstairs almost immediately following the considerable noise increase that came along with the new arrivals. 

"I told you that you clean up nicely if you _actually_ put in the effort", Danny practically purred, blatantly checking him out as he placed his hands on the leaner man's hips. 

Stiles felt his face burning and _knew_ that his cheeks had to be bright red at the very public display Danny was already putting on. "Clearly you know my body better than I do, seeing as this was all your doing", he replied, smiling invitingly and placing a hand on each of Danny's biceps to hold him in place. 

"I must admit, you two actually make an attractive pair", Lydia offered, eyeing them with what could almost be called approval. "Nice job on the suits Danny."

He nodded his thanks before squeezing Stiles' hips gently and pulling away to stand next to him, sliding an arm around his waist. It was then that Stiles noticed the two new faces in the room- and it appeared he wasn't far behind everyone else, as Elizabeth squealed and ran over to them excitedly. 

"Derek! Mr. Hale! Look at my prom outfit!", the young girl exclaimed, twirling around as the dress ballooned around her. 

"You look absolutely stunning my dear", Mr. Hale complimented, a fond smile on his face. 

"This dress is perfect for you; did you go shopping with the girls earlier?", Derek added. The way that he looked at her, Stiles had come to realize, was the look he had reserved for his family. It was special, and _if_ he were to _ever_ look at anyone like that who wasn't family- Stiles knew that's the person Derek would marry. He felt a slight ache knowing that he might not ever be on the receiving end of a look like that from anyone, let alone someone like Derek. 

"Stiles brought it for me! He got me the dress and the shoes and he did my hair _and_ he gave me this necklace!", she explained almost hysterically, barely able to get the words out coherently. 

Derek took the pendant in his hands, studying it carefully. "The family crest", he observed, his face unreadable. 

"Stiles, you did all of this?", Mr. Hale asked, surprise lightly lacing his tone. 

"Uh", Stiles cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck nervously at the attention that was suddenly on him. "Yeah, it wasn't a big deal or anything- I just... a stunning young lady like Elizabeth shouldn't be left out of such a special occasion; isn't that right my princess?", he prompted, looking at the young girl with a fondness beyond any other.

"Exactly! Stiles _always_ makes sure that I look my best on special nights, even though I can't come along. That's why Stiles is my favorite", Elizabeth agreed, running over and flinging her arms around him tightly. 

Stiles laughed and lifted her in the air, spinning them both around as he held her close. They both fell backwards onto the couch laughing. "You're my favorite too", he replied, poking her nose playfully. 

"You're going to make an extraordinary father someday Stiles. The way that you interact with children seems to just come naturally to you", Peter said airily as he walked into the room. 

"You have a gift Peter- truly. I mean, your ability to make literally _everything_ sound creepy is unparalleled; but thanks for the compliment, your timing is just incredible- and by incredible, I mean ridiculously awkward", Stiles replied, carefully lifting Elizabeth off of his lap and standing from the couch. 

"Peter may have the world's most awkward timing- and be a bit of a creep- but he's not wrong", Cora replied. 

"Okay, well regardless, this is totally _not_ the time to be discussing any of this- so moving on! Who's ready to take awkward prom pictures?", Stiles asked, rubbing his hands together, turning to look at his friends, eyebrows raised in expectation.

xxxx

The moment that Derek heard the knocking on the door, he knew he was going to have to make his way downstairs. It's not that he didn't want to see everyone in the pack all dressed up and ready for a fun night out- but prom didn't really hold the best memories for him, for obvious reasons. He took a deep breath and pushed himself off of the bed and into a standing position.

A smile slowly began forming on his face as he caught site of everyone paired up and talking excitedly. It faltered slightly as his eyes landed on Stiles and Danny- who clearly didn't have any issues with getting up-close and personal. 

"I told you that you clean up nicely if you _actually_ put in the effort", He heard Danny practically purr, blatantly checking Stiles out as he placed his hands on the leaner man's hips. 

Stiles' cheeks immediately flushed red as he replied, "Clearly you know my body better than I do, seeing as this was all your doing", smiling invitingly and placing a hand on each of Danny's biceps to hold him in place. Derek had _never_ seen anyone act that way around Stiles, or Stiles act that way towards anyone. It was nice to see him finally putting himself out there a little. No matter how much he never outwardly expressed it, Derek knew that Stiles was a complete catch; he was intelligent and quick-witted, caring and passionate, as well as fiercely loyal and dedicated- and Danny wasn't wrong, Stiles did clean up nicely when there was some sort of effort put into it. Danny, from what Derek had seen over the past month or so, was also a wonderful guy and possessed many of the genuinely attractive personality traits that Stiles had- but something about the two of them together made Derek feel slightly uneasy.

"I must admit, you two actually make an attractive pair", Lydia offered, eyeing them with what could almost be called approval. "Nice job on the suits Danny."

Derek drew his attention away from that particular conversation and felt his smile returning, stretching into a full out grin when he spotted Elizabeth all dressed up, spinning around and watching as her dress rose and fell around her with the motions. She stopped briefly and her eyes widened as she noticed him, only taking a brief second to gain her composure before squealing and running over to him.

"Derek! Mr. Hale! Look at my prom outfit!", the young girl exclaimed, twirling around again as the dress ballooned around her. 

"You look absolutely stunning my dear", His father complimented, a fond smile on his face. 

"This dress is perfect for you; did you go shopping with the girls earlier?", he asked. The dress fit her perfectly, and the outfit as a whole is something he knew she would pick out in an instant were she to spot it in a store somewhere. 

"Stiles brought it for me! He got me the dress and the shoes and he did my hair _and_ he gave me this necklace!", she explained almost hysterically, barely able to get the words out coherently. 

He took the pendant in his hands, studying it carefully. "The family crest", he observed, somewhat stunned. 

"Stiles, you did all of this?", His father asked, surprise lightly lacing his tone. 

"Uh", Stiles cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck nervously at the attention that was suddenly on him. "Yeah, it wasn't a big deal or anything- I just... a stunning young lady like Elizabeth shouldn't be left out of such a special occasion; isn't that right my princess?", he prompted, looking at the young girl with a fondness Derek had only seen directed at those that meant the absolute world to Stiles. He had seen some variation of that look directed at everyone in the pack at some point in the span of time he had known the younger man- it had even been directed at himself at least once or twice; the thought of it gave him a feeling of warmth he didn't really want to think too much about. 

"Exactly! Stiles _always_ makes sure that I look my best on special nights, even though I can't come along. That's why Stiles is my favorite", Elizabeth agreed, running over and flinging her arms around him tightly. 

Stiles laughed and lifted her in the air, spinning them both around as he held her close. They both fell backwards onto the couch laughing. "You're my favorite too", he replied, poking her nose playfully. 

Derek watched the two of them interact, feeling comforted in ways that could only come from being part of a pack. 

"You're going to make an extraordinary father someday Stiles. The way that you interact with children seems to just come naturally to you", Peter said airily as he walked into the room. 

Peter was actually one of Derek's favorite pack members. He didn't really play favorites, but a lot of the time, Peter voiced the things that Derek would never- almost as if they were sharing the same train of thought a majority of the time. It was both comforting and concerning for several different reasons. Right now, they were definitely on the same wavelength. Derek was only 23, and Stiles was even younger at 17- but the way that Stiles had always been with Elizabeth... it was like he was wired to be fantastic with children in way that Derek personally hadn't seen in a lot of people, especially at that age. Watching the two of them now, Derek realized for the first time that he actually _wanted_ that someday; to have a family of his own. He had been so closed off to relationships after the Kate disaster, which nobody could really blame him for, but he had never really had much of a desire to settle down after that- until now. Seeing Stiles and Elizabeth together in that moment was like a punch in the gut; he wasn't expecting it by any means, and he couldn't tear his eyes away. 

"You have a gift Peter- truly. I mean, your ability to make literally _everything_ sound creepy is unparalleled; but thanks for the compliment, your timing is just incredible- and by incredible, I mean ridiculously awkward", Stiles replied, carefully lifting Elizabeth off of his lap and standing from the couch, and effectively drawing Derek's attention back to what was happening around him. 

"Peter may have the world's most awkward timing- and be a bit of a creep- but he's not wrong", Cora replied. 

"Okay, well regardless, this is totally _not_ the time to be discussing any of this- so moving on! Who's ready to take awkward prom pictures?", Stiles asked, rubbing his hands together, turning to look at his friends, eyebrows raised in expectation.

Talia, Laura and Gabriel all had a camera out, ready to take as many pictures as the teenagers would let them. They actually managed to get a decent amount of "serious" shots- nicer pictures where everyone was smiling and posing appropriately- but it didn't take long for a few of them to start pulling ridiculous faces, which spiraled into piggyback rides, hand stands, 007-esque poses, and there was even an attempt at a human pyramid. About half of an hour later they had finished their little photo shoot and were ready to head out for the evening. 

"You better save me a dance, alright? I expect one when I get back tonight", Stiles requested, crouching in front of Elizabeth while everyone else made their way out to the cars. 

"You better save one for me too! My night won't be complete without it", she replied, her tone completely serious. 

"Promise?", Stiles asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Promise!", Elizabeth said with a nod, emphasizing her agreement. 

"Good. You and Laura have fun- but not too much without me", Stiles said with a wink, slowly maneuvering back into a standing position. "Take care ladies- have fun, once again, not too much without me", he continued, giving Laura and Talia both a hug. 

He turned to Gabriel, arm outstretched for a handshake but was pulled into a hug instead- to which he immediately accepted by returning the gesture. "Keep an eye on them tonight- and have some fun, okay? You deserve it", he suggested, looking at Stiles intently as they pulled back. 

"I will- to both of those. I promise", he replied, his expression serious yet still cheerful. Lastly he turned to Derek, eyes skirting over the slightly-older man. "Take care of my girl for me tonight."

Derek nodded, "Of course. Nothing but the best for the princess", he replied, his lip twitching upward slightly. 

"Yeah", Stiles replied, nodding somewhat dazedly. 

The two just stood there looking at each other for what seemed painfully too long, until Derek outstretched his hand and Stiles accepted it. It was a brief handshake, and no words were exchanged, but somehow they didn't really need anything more.


	7. So (S)he Dances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe if I actually spent more time with him and all that, I could see it. I mean, it's not a secret that he's really really really ridiculously good looking, but there's got to be more to it than that."
> 
> "I can see where you're coming from with not really knowing him still- and the whole insanely attractive part as well- but like I said before, this is a classic rom-com set up. It'll all fall into place, just wait.", Danny offered. "I better at least be invited to the wedding, because we all know I'm right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so I know it has taken me absolutely AGES to update, and I'm really sorry about that. I went to the Days of the Wolf convention, I've been trying to get signed up for school, I've had all kinds of prompt requests I've been working on, and I work pretty much all the time- so I apologize. I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to get something out to get this rolling again.  
> Thanks for all of the continued support/feedback!

Arriving at prom with Danny on his arm was even more satisfying than Stiles had anticipated. He avoided eye contact and fidgeted slightly under the attention, which Danny clued into immediately. 

"Relax. You look fantastic- I would be surprised if people _weren't_ checking you out. Enjoy it", he whispered, squeezing the leaner boy's arm comfortingly. 

Stiles nodded, sharing a private smile with him before tuning back in to the conversation taking place between the rest of the group. 

"I don't know about you guys, but the dance floor is definitely calling my name", Erica interjected. "So if you'll excuse us...", she said, smiling brightly up and Boyd and gently tugging him along. 

"I believe that's our cue", Danny suggested as he turned to Stiles, raising an eyebrow questioningly. 

"I'm just going to warn you now- I'm completely down with this idea, but my dance moves are whiter than Bo Burnham rapping", Stiles replied. 

"Yeah well, not for long. We're going to remedy that issue, right now- c'mon", Danny said definitively, taking Stiles' hand and leading him to the middle of the floor. 

Danny pulled Stiles close, leaving barely an inch between them and immediately fell into step with the beat pulsing through the room. He carefully guided Stiles along with him, making slight corrections and offering tips until he no longer needed to. 

"See, all you needed was a little bit of guidance- now you don't even need me at all", Danny praised, unabashedly watching Stiles as he moved almost seamlessly. 

"I wouldn't quite go that far. I'd be forced to kill you, or have you killed, if you left me out here on my own", Stiles replied. "Even for me, it's going to take a bit more practice to perfect these moves", he continued, a hint of a smirk present in the uptick of his lips. 

"We've still got a few hours- practice away", Danny beamed, pulling him closer until their bodies were actually touching. "I _know_ that I've accomplished what I set out to tonight- the guy I'm after is absolutely _seething_ with how close we've been; but you, we need to make sure you've perfected those moves so that you're an expert when you put them on Derek."

Stiles jerked back slightly, aghast at the certainty behind the words just spoken. " _What_? How did you-"

"Seriously? Come on Stiles it's obvious. Everybody knows", Danny replied, matter-of-factly. 

"What do you mean by 'everybody knows'? who exactly is 'everybody' and what do they know? there isn't even anything to know!", Stiles exclaimed vehemently, emphasizing his distress with sporadic hand movements. 

"Stiles, are we really going to do this?", Danny sighed. "Look, to everyone in the pack, it's pretty clear that whenever Derek is in the room, he's the center of your attention. He actually _talks_ to you, and I've heard his parents and his sisters raving about how much progress he's made because of you. Clearly, you two are supposed to be together- you're just the only ones who haven't figured it out yet."

"So basically what you're trying to tell me, is that my life is one of those romcoms where the two main protagonists are completely oblivious but ultimately end up together- and Derek and I are in the starring roles?", Stiles replied, somewhat sarcastically, attempting to process the information he had just been given. 

"Yes, actually. That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you. You might not believe me now, but one day you're going to thank me", Danny confirmed confidently. "Enough about that for now, let's have some fun."

The rest of the night wasn't particularly eventful, but it was the most fun any of them had in a while; which was definitely something they needed. 

"So, you finally gonna put the moves on your boy when we get back?", Erica said nudging Stiles lightly in the side with her elbow. 

"My boy?", Stiles said in an amused tone. "There are so many things wrong with that sentence I don't even know where to start."

"Don't act like you have no idea who she's talking about", Scott added. "C'mon dude."

"You guys are absolutely ridiculous, you realize that, right? Just because I actually put in the effort to _talk_ to Derek, unlike the rest of you, and therefore he willingly talks to me in return- literally does not mean anything. I have this weird knack for being able to relate to people in unique ways. You all should know that by now", Stiles replied, eyeing all of them carefully. "Maybe if I actually spent more time with him and all that, I could see it. I mean, it's not a secret that he's really really really ridiculously good looking, but there's got to be more to it than that."

"I can see where you're coming from with not really knowing him still- and the whole insanely attractive part as well- but like I said before, this is a classic rom-com set up. It'll all fall into place, just wait.", Danny offered. "I better at least be invited to the wedding, because we all know I'm right."

Stiles just smiled and shook his head. His friends were just as mental as he was, and he loved them for it.

xxxx

"So you take a step back when I step forward- like that! yes, exactly!", Laura praised, grinning at the young girl in front of her.

Elizabeth beamed proudly, "Let's practice again! It needs to be perfect for when he gets back!"

Laura laughed, shaking her head affectionately, "You know your still going to be Stiles' little princess, even if you don't have it perfect by the time he gets back."

"I know that silly, but I _want_ it to be perfect."

Laura and Elizabeth had been spending their evening learning legitimate dances, as well as messing around, jumping on the couch, just having a girls night. About half way into the night, Elizabeth had revealed that she wanted to learn how to dance "properly" for the dance she was saving for Stiles when he got home. Laura agreed in a heartbeat, knowing everyone would melt completely at the sight of it.

"You know, if you _really_ want to be an expert by the time Stiles gets back, you should go ask Derek to practice with you", Laura suggested. 

"Derek?", Elizabeth replied skeptically. 

"Yep. He's going to kill me for telling you, but he's actually very, very good", Laura revealed, smiling mischievously. "Why don't you go upstairs and ask him? I'm sure he won't be able to say no to you."

The young girl nodded eagerly before bolting up the stairs and disappearing. Barely five minutes later, she was making her way back down, her smile blindingly bright, with Derek in tow. 

"If this wasn't for Elizabeth, I swear to god I'd never speak to you again", Derek said, attempting to glare at Laura. At one point, being on the receiving end of a glare from Derek was enough to turn people as white as a sheet from fear- but there just wasn't any real malicious intent behind it anymore; Laura would count it as definite progress. The annoyed front Derek had tried to put up faded almost immediately as he fell into step with Elizabeth, smiling at how well she was doing. "I don't know why you needed me down here. Seems like Laura has done just fine with showing you how this goes", he said fondly, briefly glancing over at Laura. " _because_ she said that you're the best at this, and I need to be perfect for when they all get back!", the young girl explained again. "Ah, of course. Nothing but the best for Stiles", he replied, his lips briefly quirking into a smirk. "Exactly! _see_ Laura! Derek gets it", Elizabeth said, turning to stick her tongue out at Laura. "Of course Derek gets it. Stiles is Derek's favorite- everyone knows that", Laura replied, a knowing glint in her eyes as she looked back at Derek. His movements faltered slightly before he caught himself. "I have no idea what you're talking about", Derek claimed, feigning innocence. Laura snorted, "Right. Obviously." Their conversation halted abruptly as the sound of tires crunching on gravel was heard at the end of the street.


	8. I Just Want You To Dance with Me Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles lifted an eyebrow, his eyes widening slightly at the admission. "Derek? really?", he replied. "Y'know, for some reason I feel like that shouldn't surprise me." He peered over Laura's shoulder, watching as Derek carefully and attentively guided Erica along, smiling softly every time she fell into step with him. Stiles felt himself getting lost in watching him as he often did and brought himself back, to find Laura giving him _the look_. He had been on the receiving end of it from pretty much every member of the Hale family at one point or another.
> 
> "Like what you see?", she asked smugly.
> 
> "Maybe", Stiles replied nonchalantly. "To be fair though, it's difficult for anyone to look at him and not like what they see."

Derek and Laura were nearly knocked off of their feet the moment the pack walked through the door. Everyone smelled so _happy_ and _relaxed_ , and it was completely overwhelming. It had been _at least_ a few months since the pack as a whole felt so mentally and emotionally healthy, and it was an amazing feeling.

"Stiles!", Elizabeth squealed, excitedly launching herself at the boy the moment he stepped into the room.

He laughed and caught her, lifting her up with minimal effort. "Hey pretty lady", he said. "I hope you saved a dance for me." He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Only if you saved one for me", she replied cheekily, mirroring his expression with scary accuracy. Everyone laughed and he gently placed her feet back on the floor.

"Of course I did. I promised that I would. Did you pick out a song?"

She nodded and looked over her shoulder at Laura, who was already moving to turn on the stereo system. As the music started up, Stiles carefully stepped into her space and took her hands. He could tell immediately that she had been practicing and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips at the realization.

About half way through the song, everyone else in the pack started pairing off and falling into place around them. Stiles bit his lip to suppress a chuckle as Laura took Derek's wrist and pulled him over to dance with her. He didn't appear as reluctant as Stiles had expected - and that in itself he viewed as progress. Not long after, the song faded out and a new one began to play. Stiles saw Scott approach and gently tap Elizabeth on the shoulder.

"May I have this dance?", he asked, extending a hand out to her. She nodded eagerly and accepted his outstretched hand. Partners began shuffling around, and Allison ended up with Jackson, Danny with Isaac, Cora with Boyd, Erica with Derek, ad Lydia sitting out, while Stiles ended up with Laura.

"You did a pretty impressive job teaching Liz how to dance like that in one night", Stiles praised, easily falling into step with the older girl.

"Well I would say thank you, and I guess I should because I did help, but it was mostly Derek who taught her", Laura replied.

Stiles lifted an eyebrow, his eyes widening slightly at the admission. "Derek? really?", he replied. "Y'know, for some reason I feel like that shouldn't surprise me." He peered over Laura's shoulder, watching as Derek carefully and attentively guided Erica along, smiling softly every time she fell into step with him. Stiles felt himself getting lost in watching him as he often did and brought himself back, to find Laura giving him _the look_. He had been on the receiving end of it from pretty much every member of the Hale family at one point or another.

"Like what you see?", she asked smugly.

"Maybe", Stiles replied nonchalantly. "To be fair though, it's difficult for anyone to look at him and not like what they see."

"Okay, first of all, gross. I was already aware of the way everyone that ever sees him feels about how he looks. You're lucky that you can't smell it pouring off of everyone in waves.", Laura replied. "Secondly, I know that you know that's not what I meant."

Stiles sighed, knowing he couldn't just keep avoiding the conversation any longer. "Is that why everyone keeps not-at-all-subtly hinting that we need to get together? because we smell like we're into each other or something?" 

Laura leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Spoilers." She laughed loudly at the affronted look on his face.

"I cannot believe you just River Song-ed me! I _knew_ you paid attention during our Doctor Who marathons!"

"Of course I pay attention. I'd have no idea what the hell any of you are talking about most of the time if I didn't- and seeing the look on your face just now was completely worth it", Laura replied.

"It isn't nice to toy with a man's emotions like that Laura", he scolded mockingly, no real heat in his stare as he glared at her.

"You'll thank me later."

"Okay, if I hear that one more time tonight, I swear..."

Laura laughed again and pulled him close as they continued dancing, a comfortable silence falling between them. The song came to an end and Elizabeth was passed over to Boyd as everyone traded partners again. Isaac ended up with Scott, Lydia with Laura, Danny with Allison, Jackson with Cora and Erica with Stiles. Derek seemed to have no qualms with sitting this one out and observing.

"Congratulations Stilinski", Erica offered. "Your night was clearly a success."

"Was it?", Stiles asked.

"I haven't seen the pack this laid back and just enjoying themselves in a long time- and you made sure it all fell into place", Erica replied. "I would definitely call that a success."

Stiles shrugged. "That's what packs are supposed to do for each other, right? what friends and family are supposed to do? it's not a big deal."

"You've been doing it pretty much your entire life, so to _you_ maybe it's not; but to the rest of us it means _everything_. So thank you."

Stiles' gaze softened and he offered her the most sincere expression he could muster. "I love you guys. You should know I'd do anything to keep you all safe and happy."

Erica flung her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and into a hug. He faltered slightly, caught off guard, before hugging her back just as tightly. He could feel all of the attention in the room was focused on them, and soon enough he felt everyone integrating themselves into the hug, cocooning around Stiles and Erica. After a few minutes they all began to break away to resume dancing, pairing off with new people. Erica hugged Stiles again and placed a kiss on his cheek before wandering off to dance with Isaac. 

As Stiles was glancing around to see if he would be the one sitting out this time around, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find Derek standing about a foot in front of him, the hand that had previously been on his shoulder now outstretched in invitation. Stiles accepted it without hesitation, allowing Derek to lead him a few feet over to the edge of the makeshift dance floor. He felt Derek's arms snake around his neck, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised that Derek was going to let him lead. Stiles took advantage of the opportunity, immediately placing his hands at Derek's waist. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room as they moved together. There was space between them, but it didn't matter. The close proximity was enough to send Stiles' heartbeat racing, and he felt a tingling and numbness simultaneously in his fingertips and at the back of his neck where they _were_ touching. He was starting to understand what everyone had been talking about. Stiles didn't just see Derek as an attractive face, and well everything else, like most people did. It felt like the room had been charged with electricity, a buzzing present under his skin that he didn't know what to do with. It was at that moment he realized he would never be able to keep any of this from Derek. It made him feel completely on edge, because Derek probably _already knew_ \- with his ability to detect feelings like that through smell, and hear his heartbeat- and _jesus_ every werewolf in the room would be able to tell. He was never going to hear the end of it.

"So I hear you're the one that taught Liz how to dance. I must say that I'm impressed", Stiles said, trying to distract himself from the dangerous path his thoughts found themselves traveling down.

"Laura laid the groundwork. I just did some fine tuning towards the end", Derek replied, attempting to brush it off.

"Still, it was quite the team effort."

"You know why she wanted to learn it all tonight, don't you?", Derek asked, looking directly into his eyes.

"Was there a particular reason? other than wanting to dance with us tonight?", Stiles replied.

"Not with us, with _you_. You promised her a dance and she wanted to be ready", Derek corrected.

"She wanted to learn, just for _me_?", Stiles replied, awe evident in his tone. "I don't know if I believe I'm quite that special."

"Stiles", Derek said in a fond tone that younger man wasn't used to hearing from him. "You're the one always making sure that she's included, no matter what. On top of organizing pretty much everything about tonight to give everyone in the pack exactly what they needed to enjoy it, you still made sure Elizabeth had an outfit for tonight and something to look forward to by promising her a dance. I'm almost 100% sure you're one of the most important people in the world in her eyes."

To say that Stiles was completely blown away would have an understatement. "I swear to all that is holy if you make me cry in front of everyone right now I'm never speaking to you again", Stiles threatened, furiously attempting to blink the rapidly forming moisture back into his eyes.

Derek chuckled, the smile never fading as he studied the younger man's face. "I feel like that threat is as empty as when I threaten to rip your throat out."

"Oh, so you're never actually considering ripping my throat out as a viable option to shut me up then?", Stiles replied.

"Considering it, yes. Actually planning to follow through with it? Never", Derek answered, lightly running his fingers over the back of Stiles' neck.

"Good to know."

**Author's Note:**

> Updated Character References: [1](http://righteouspumpernickel.tumblr.com/post/72185575482) | [2](http://righteouspumpernickel.tumblr.com/post/72189018250)
> 
> feel free to come fangirl and such with me on [tumblr](http://righteouspumpernickel.tumblr.com) :D


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